Athabasca

A bit of a different view of the much-visited Athabasca Falls in Jasper, Alberta. This was the first very cold morning of the season (0 degrees) but the temperature had dropped so rapidly that much ice had yet to form. The comparatively warm waters created a lot of fog and mist rising above the falls just after sunrise. The strong blues are a result of the silty, glacial orgins of the water and are totally natural.

 

Thanks for having a look.

Thanks for commenting.

Lovely, especially the blues in the water. I really like the little kiss of sunlight in that tiny little section of the background, too. Exposure, of course, is dead on: congratulations on pulling out all that shadow detail on the right side. Did you do this with just one exposure or a blend?

Actually, the thing I'd really like to ask is about your cold-weather gear and preparation. I've logged thousands of backcountry miles, and I'm in good physical shape, but I find that I pretty much can't photograph in weather that's too much below freezing, mainly because of the necessity of taking my gloves off. During this time of year, I just generally don't bother. Could you talk a bit about what you take on a backcountry trip in weather this cold? How do you keep batteries from dying within thirty minutes? Do you sleep with the camera and batteries to keep them from freezing? (That's less of an issue for me, since I still shoot a film camera, but it matters for the light meter.)

John,

 

This is a blend of three exposures blended in at varying opacities and color levels. Mostly to deal with the shadow areas at left and uppermost highlights in the background.

 

As for the cold weather questions, I'm actually writing an article for mountaintrailphoto.com that answers your questions and more. It will be available in the January issue.

Me, I can take gloves off when it's -10 and no problem. I'm pretty used to it and lucky to have good circulation I guess. The real key is keeping the body warm so the extremities stay the same. I know some people who operate the camera with thin gloves that fit underneath thick mits for when they're not shooting. As for the batteries, the huge clunkers in the 1Ds III last 30 minutes at least even when it's below zero. I simply keep a spare or two in a warm pocket and cycle them. I did the same thing with the 5D, only with more batteries in more pockets. Sometimes I did have to put a couple in the sleeping bag.

This is the best shot I've seen of Athabasca to date. Excellent work. That's a pretty cool perspective. did you have any trouble getting there?

All the best,

Neil

Oh, lovely blues! As always, you are mastering these moody scenes that you are "painting" them in a dramatic and spectacular way.

Regards! Alin

Excellent view of a wonderful place, technically perfect as usual. Best regards, Marco

A real stunner! Not much to add to that.

 

 

Stunning image...congrats....7/7

Great image. Saludos.

Cool image, Marc. Very good composition,exposure,light & colours.

Looks like a scene from the "Lord of the rings"! Congratulations!

I've never seen a shot of these falls that I liked. Until now that is. There's a 3 dimensional feel to this missing in most images. A very powerful rendering.

I agree 100% with what Kah Kit said. I didn't even bother adding a visit to the falls into my packed itinerary when I was in Jasper because I had seen so many photos of them and liked none of them particularly well. Looking at this absolutely stunning image I have a sense of regret at that decision.

 

Simple outstanding perspective, composition and colour.

Hello Mark . Wonderful picture . Beautiful colors .

Excellent work!!!!

Have to give you points on this one.  This is very nice.